Saturday, January 8, 2011

Vegan Buckwheat Pancakes + Blueberry Sauce

On the weekend, pancakes are unavoidable. There's something about a leisurely Saturday or Sunday morning that just calls for a pancake breakfast that you sit down to eat as a counterpoint to the usual weekday breakfast bars, gulped bowl of cereal, or sad-and-rushed nothing at all.

This recipe is more akin to a quick bread than a pancake. I adapted it from the back of the Bob's Red Mill whole grain buckwheat flour package by adding a few frills like orange zest and vanilla for flavor and using rapid rise yeast so these didn't have to sit overnight. They're vegan, they're pretty healthy, they're hearty, and best of all, they taste exactly like fresh wheat bread with warm jam.

Vegan Buckwheat Pancakes

(Makes five huge pancakes)

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup buckwheat flour

3/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. Rapid Rise yeast

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tbsp. cane sugar

2 tbsp. soy margarine (melted)

1 tsp. vanilla

orange zest

1 1/2 cups warm water

maple syrup

powdered sugar

Mix dry ingredients, margarine, zest, and vanilla. Add the water and stir to incorporate. On a buttered griddle over medium-low heat, cook each pancake until golden; this should take about 2-3 minutes per side. Plate them and add maple syrup, powdered sugar, and the following simple blueberry sauce.

Blueberry Sauce

1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

juice of one lemon

2 tbsp. cane sugar

Put blueberries in a saucepan with juice and sugar and cook on medium heat. Stir occasionally and cook down for 10-15 minutes.